That’s right! Halopedian is proud to announce we have been going for 15 years strong. We just wanted to thank everyone who has supported us along the way. This whole blog/pedia started in 2001 technically (so 16 years) but it wasn’t until the next year that we “officially” launched and open our doors with guides, tips, tricks, and the like. While things may have slowed down on our end we are still putting out relevant content locally and through other channels as well. In celebration of our 15-year mark, we are throwing a shindig with all the stops. We have a taco man courtesy of our long-time contributing writer Mark. There will be an animated GIF Boomerang Photo Booth brought in by the talented folks over at Splendid Studio Photo Booth. Lastly, what would it be without some Halo so we have a game truck with all the fixings courtesy of Level Up Game Truck.

We’ve sent out an invite to some of our loyal readers and email insiders club. Be on the lookout for your invite and don’t forget to check your spam folder just in case you don’t see anything 😉

YouTube has become an avenue for gamers to connect with each other and with their intended audiences. A lot of gamers use the said site for sharing their ideas, thoughts, tips and tricks regarding the games they play, or the gaming world in general. As such, a lot of them have become celebrities in the video gaming world. Here are five of 2016’s most popular YouTube gamers (not in particular order, except for the first one).

Pewdiepie or Felix Kjellberg

Swedish gamer Pewdiepie features a lot of games in the horror category in addition to flash games. So, while you will find videos on Silent Hill, you can also view videos for your kids (or siblings, or friends) who play Minecraft. If you want an unforgettable scary experience, check out his Scared Pewdiepie series. This will put you in the middle of the scary action in the video games that he plays as you feel as if you are inside the action while watching the video. Pewdiepie has more than 45 million YouTube followers as of this writing. If you’re trying to sell a video game, just mention his name and it will sell in a matter of minutes.

KSI

If you are into sports games like FIFA, KSI (Olajide “JJ” Olatunji) is your video gaming hero. You’ll love his commentaries and funny anecdotes on anything and everything related to the EA sports game. He also does the same videos for Grand Theft Auto. If you like comical skits, pranks, and soccer challenges, you’ll love KSI. His number of YouTube follower currently stands at more than three million.

Smosh Games

You’ll find a variety of gaming videos on the Smosh Games channel. If you need walkthroughs, they have them. If you are looking for game reviews, you’ll find them there. Smosh’s specialty, however, is Let’s Plays focused on games like Halo, Assassin’s Creed, and Grand Theft Auto, among others. Smosh Games has attracted more or less six million followers. The people behind the channel are Anthony Padilla and Andrew Hecox.

Captain Sparklez

Captain Sparklez is a channel created by Jordan Maron. It features Let’s Play videos, although its most popular videos are machinimas of Minecraft. One of his most popular videos is Minecraft Style, which is an interpretation of Gangnam Style in the Minecraft way. His followers total to over nine million at present.

The Syndicate Project

Tom Cassell came up with The Syndicate Project in 2010 specifically for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Halo. He features Let’s Play videos. Later on, he started featuring Minecraft and Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies videos. His unboxing videos of chosen FPS or First-Person Shooter Games are most popular. Currently, Cassell’s channel has more than 9.7 million followers.

The gaming world is an exciting one, especially with the continuing developments in technology. There are always pleasant surprises to look forward to. You get to make a lot of new friends, too, people who love games the way you do. There are also competitions that offer big financial rewards, but these are usually reserved for professional gamers. If you’d like to improve your chances of competing and winning in gaming competitions, you’ll first need to master how to become a professional gamer.

Choose a Game You Like and Excel At

Don’t choose a game because it is popular or because its tournaments offer the highest prize money. Choose a game because you like it and you excel at it. Furthermore, you should not choose a game just because the gamer you like or hate is playing it, too. You need to play a game you are good at and then work on building a positive reputation in the gaming industry.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice makes perfect. Sounds cliché, but it is true. So never, ever be too lazy to practice. Whenever you have time, practice. After winning, practice. After losing, practice. You can practice alone or with friends; it doesn’t matter as long as you practice.

Join a Team, a Community, and Sign up for Tournaments

Once you are confident that you’re ready to compete, find a team you can join. First off, however, you need to find out how you can become a part of the gaming community in your neighborhood, city, region, school, or state. Once your team is up, practice and start competing in tournaments. Joining tournaments will also help you hone your skills as a professional gamer. The minute you start to establish a good reputation, you can approach companies or groups who will be willing to sponsor you. If you are seriously thinking about making professional gaming a part of your lifestyle, you will need a sponsor or some sponsors.

Combat video games are popular among all age groups. Fighting (and winning) against thugs or assassins somehow give players a different kind of satisfaction. The first time you play a combat video game, you’ll find yourself asking for more. Pretty soon, you’ll find yourself hooked on the game, so much so that you won’t be able to stop playing. Combat video games have a strong pull, probably because everyone wants to have that nice feeling of defeating someone who is obviously stronger than you (like a ninja or Batman). This is the reason why there are countless combat video games in the market today. Over the years, however, these four have remained extremely popular and favored by many.

Soulcalibur for Dreamcast

With its focus on an eight-way movement system, Soulcalibur is considered highly innovative. This 3D game was originally in the arcades back in the late 1990s. The primary emphasis in Soulcalibur is on the weapons, while many also like its story, the animation flow, the character details, and the fact that it features different time periods and fighters.

Tekken 3 for PlayStation

No combat video games list will be complete without a Tekken. This version, which came out sometime in the late 1990s, highlights the importance of sidestepping in the defense (the third axis). It also features several improvements from the first version. Tekken is considered one of the best franchises in combat games because of its unique and exciting fighting moves. How many gamers often find themselves spending hours playing the game just so they can master the moves and combos? It’s a fun, lively game for everyone!

Soulcalibur II

Soulcalibur II came out in 2002 as an expansion/improvement of the original Soulcalibur. It features good graphics and a lot of interesting character additions (new ones and guests). These characters use their weapons to achieve the ultimate goal of defeating Soul Edge. Originally released as an arcade game, it was eventually ported to PS2, Xbox, and GameCube a year later.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes

The fourth in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, this combat video game is described as a “crossover fighting game” as it features characters from two universes: Marvel and Capcom. It features 3-on-3 gameplay as well as a 3D-rendered background and visual effects.